There are certain news stories that move people. Last week, a local furniture store in Houston caught fire in its storage warehouse. The city stopped for the morning.
It may not seem like a big deal to those outside Houston, but those who live here know why the story was a major story.
Now the story just got bigger. The faulty generator that employees complained was acting up is no longer thought to be the cause of the fire. No, now an official investigation is opened into who could have possibly started this massive fire and why.
You know when you hear news stories and you get that feeling. When I first heard that Gallery Furniture caught fire, I had this sinking feeling.
"Someone out there knows what happened that night, and we're going to find them," Rob Elder, a special ATF agent said in a news conference today. No one was been ruled out as a suspect, said Elder, who declined to reveal details as to how investigators think the blaze began.
Gallery Furniture has been a mainstay in Houston as long as people around here remember. The thing that made it so hard for the citizens of Houston to watch as $5 million worth of inventory born to the ground is that every Houstonian knows the owner.
No, not every Houstonian is close friend to owner Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale, but every Houstonian knows him.
The reason why is how much McIngvale has given back to the community over the years. He hasn't just given away furniture through the years-although he has, but he has given people hope and new lives.
After Hurricane Ike, it was McIngvale outside helping people. Mcingvale is the people's man despite selling an average $200 million worth of furniture a year. He is thought of as one of the guys because no matter how well his business is doing he is giving back to the community through donations, time and inspiration.
Matress Mack is known for his rags to riches story. His wife and him arrived in Houston with a mere $5,000 to start their business. You know the rest of the story. It wasn't long before Mack was on t.v jumping on beds and screaming about saving money.
In a prepared statement today, McIngvale asked for help from the public.
"Now that an official investigation has been opened, we have no comment on the matter, except to ask any individual with information that might assist investigators to call Crime Stoppers of Houston immediately at 713-222-TIPS," he said in the statement, which was circulated at the ATF news conference.
Houstonians need to join together today and give back to Mack. Those who know anything need to come forward. Others need to show support through prayers and well wishes during this time.
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